Robin Hood and Mrs. Watkins
by Penny Clearwater
Summary: This is a short story/creative writing I wrote for a class, its not exactly R.H. but he is a important character. R/R please.
1. Defeating the Horrid Mrs. Watkins

A large wooden door slammed in the east wing of the castle. There sat five girls on a bed as the sixth walked in.  
  
"Madam Watkins makes me so mad!" she proclaimed as she joined the other girls upon the bed. As she sat her blonde hair fell partially from the tight bun it was in but went unnoticed.  
  
"Come on Christina, not like you wouldn't have won anyways," said a girl in the far corner of the bed. She had beautiful chestnut brown hair.  
  
"Jessie, you wouldn't have either," exclaimed a frazzled looking girl with reddish brown hair.  
  
Jessie opened her mouth as to say something but Christina interrupted, "Rachel! Jessie! Stop fighting. Doesn't matter who would've won only that she lied!"  
  
A very tall blonde girl spoke up, "You know, she really didn't lie."  
  
"Anita's right, she didn't truly lie," another girl spoke up. She was short with brown and blonde hair.  
  
The last girl also having chestnut brown hair finally talks, "No she didn't lie. Lindsey and Anita are correct. But she didn't follow Master Smith's directions either."  
  
"Leave it up to Emily to get it right," Rachel said with an air of stupidity.  
  
Christina looked irritated and seemed to have not heard a word of what had been going on. She jumped at the sound of a fist hitting the door heavily. Lindsey being the closest to the door went over and opened it. There stood Robert and Austin looking almost as irritated as Christina did.  
  
"That stupid women! She should be fired," Austin blurted out as they stepped in the room.  
  
Christina looked up at him, "So you all heard?"  
  
"Of course who hasn't?" This time it was Robert speaking up as they sat down on the foot of the bed. Everyone moved around a bit. There then being eight people sitting upon the bed it was a little cramped. After a few moments of silence Christina looked up with a brilliant plan.  
  
"I've got it! Robin Hood!" Everyone looked to her like she was crazy.  
  
"You lost us back there somewhere," Jessie said for everyone else who seemed to be speechless.  
  
"Don't you get it? We can tell Robin Hood how evil she is and explain everything to him. He would surly be on our side and take her prisoner." This seemed to sink into everyone's feeble brains as they all got a look of understanding and happiness instead of the dull unhappy one they bore before.  
  
"Great idea!"  
  
"It'll work for sure!"  
  
"Why didn't we think of it before?" They sat there discussing what they were going to do for hours until Madam White knocked on the door and ordered the boys back to the west wing and the girls all to there dorms. Christina, Rachel, and Lindsey wave as Jessie, Anita, and Emily leave for their dorm. Rachel and Lindsey get off Christina's bed and get in their own. They lay there talking until they have all drifted off to sleep.  
  
The next day after breakfast the eight of them set off for the forest. They laughed and joked the whole journey. Not far from the forest they spotted Robin Hood and some of his men running and skipping into the forest. "Robin! Hey Robin!" Christina shouted out as they came closer.  
  
"Lady Christina! Good day! I see you have friends with you, aren't looking for money are you?" He laughs as he says this.  
  
"No, we need your help. We need you to stop the evil at the school."  
  
He looks curious and asks, "What kind of evil? Please sit and tell us of your troubles." Everyone sits down, some on rocks, and some in the grass. After everyone is settled down Christina begins to tell explain their problem.  
  
"Well, it started when Master Smith informed Madam Watkins that he had decided to award one of her students with 5,000 pounds. We all wrote about why we thought we deserved the money. Some of us even wrote a page on Master Smith and his ownership of the horse tracks and such. No one expected that Madam would turn on her word and offer the money to her son, John, if he would give her half of it. Her greed over powered common sense. Tons of letters were written about it to Master Smith but he didn't do anything about it yet. She's positively evil! We need for you and your men, if you can, to take her prisoner. I don't care how just do. Please?"  
  
Robin turns this over in his head a few times and replies to her, "Of course my-lady, we would be happy to help." They explain their plan to Robin, he understands completely and they say their good-byes and set off for the castle.  
  
Once back at the castle they sit around talking acting as normal as they can considering the wonderful events to come.  
  
That night on their way back to their dorms the girls make a detour up to the top floor to the owlery. When they enter they see Robin and a few of his men standing there with a net and what looks like a ball and chain. Emily, Jessie, Lindsey, and Anita gave directions as Rachel and Christina learned what part they had to play in this devious and sneaky plan.  
  
After everyone is asleep the two girls sneak out of their dorm, Lindsey promising to cover for their absence, and go down to the empty history of England classroom. In the dark loom a few robe-clad figures, easily recognized as Robin, Friar Tuck, and Will Scarlet. As they move around more another man is seen, it must be Little John, he's the only one that could create such a shadow. They silently discussed the final measures of their plan.  
  
Rachel and Christina ran down into Madam Watkins' room complaining of horrible pains in their sides. Afraid that they were experiencing some kind of reaction to the food she quickly rushed out of the room with them on the way to the school's nurse Madam Richards. As they rounded a corner the two girls stepped away from her as Little John jumped out in front of her and Robin, Friar, and Will surrounded her. They watched amused as they dropped the net on her and gagged her. They placed the ball and chain on her leg like a prisoner and dragged her off without another word. The girls returned to their dorm and sleep the night away.  
  
The next morning Robin stopped by to inform them that he had a friend who was a kind slave owner and had sold Madam Watkins to him. He told the school a horrible story of her capture by a cruel slave trader. They got a replacement named Madam Ervin to take her job. They never saw their teacher again. And oh, as for the money, Master Smith took the 5,000 pounds and used it to better the school, rather than have to pick a child by himself. 


	2. The Duke

"Look what I have!" Christina chortled as she came into the common's room waving a piece of parchment in the air. Eight greedy hands reached for it but with a flick of the wrist and a twist of the hips she ducked away and stood up on a table. "Hear ye, hear ye, member of my court. I have a 'royal' proclamation here, straight from the hands of dear Master Smith." She grinned to see everyone's eyes lit up giving her their full attention.  
  
"What is it about?" Anita asked almost jumping out of her dress with excitement.  
  
"Yeah, the suspense is killing me!" Emily added.  
  
"Alright, alright. I'll tell you. It reads, 'Dear Lady Christina Renee of Nottingham, it my pleasure to inform you that your father is taking time to come and visit the school. I hope you recall the first time he came and how he donated such a large sum of money to the school. And I also hope you remember the last time he was here and you and your friends made a mockery of the school and he left without so much as a goodbye to anyone. I would suggest if you want to stay out trouble that you and your friends, especially those outside of the school i.e., Robin Hood behave. Please take this into consideration. Sincerely, Master Smith."  
  
Everyone looked to her, similar grins coming to their faces. It was a great event when Christina's father came. There was little work to do in class because the professors were too busy trying to make everything appear perfect. And also, there was a feast and ball for everyone, meaning new clothes sent from mommy dearest.  
  
"So the duke is coming?" Emily smiled as she got on the table looking over Christina's shoulder to read the letter for herself. "Oh Mother Mary! He is!" The others pull them down and begin to pass around the parchment.  
  
"Does this mean the investigation of Madame Ervin is on hold?" Austin asked her as he sat back in his chair to think.  
  
"Of course not, we will just have to do it a little more carefully."  
  
"Yeah, we couldn't stop." Emily added.  
  
"Come on Emily, we are going to find Master Smith and find out when my father will be here. Lindsey, Jessie, Rachel, you three go fetch two horses. If father is coming them Emily and I should pay my mother a visit. She will be most joyous to know." With that they nod and depart. The two friends follow behind leaving Anita alone with Robert and Austin. Not thinking it smart to stay with them she ran off to the library. Yawning, they shrugged and fell asleep sitting in front of the fire. 


End file.
